Nobody Does It Better Than Disney: The Selling Of 'Hannah Montana, The Movie'

If you were near Hollywood Boulevard tonight and heard ear-splitting screams… Not to worry. It was just the premiere of Hannah Montana, The Movie, and both sides of the street were lined with adoring Miley Cyrus fans. No one orchestrates these pre-teen movies better than Disney, and the studio made sure Miley took time to sign autographs and pose for pictures with her fans who were dressed in the same dress and cowboy boots get-up she was. I’m told from the scene that she also cute-taught the broadcast press how to do the “Hoe Down Throw Down,” a dance from the movie. When the movie ended, the curtains rose and Miley performed her hit song “The Climb” while the entire audience rose to its feet, followed by another number called “Butterfly Fly Away” joined by her father Billy Ray. Then Dad performed two songs including “Back to Tennessee” which he wrote for the film and is on his new album. Get out of the way, folks: the G0-rated Miley Maelstrom is on its way to theaters April 10th.

24 Comments

Great ad campaign – the premise is easy to understand, and trailer’s got a cute boy, horses, and Miley Cyrus.

It’s going to be huge.

mooki • on Apr 3, 2009 5:03 am

Miley isn’t ready for movies. She can’t act, can’t sing, she should go back to her Disney Channel shit. HM Movie = biggest bomb of the year. There’s already bad buzz around this cow.

Mars • on Apr 3, 2009 5:59 am

Imagine that. Making a movie that people want to see, and it being successful.

David • on Apr 3, 2009 6:27 am

It might have a big, big opening…but not sure about any legs. Check out the weekly cable ratings: her series has been dropping lately next to younger competition, like iCarly. Her recent controversies (and the fact that she’s dating a 21-year-old now, when she’s only 16) did turn off a lot of parents who are aware of her influence on their kids.

TJ • on Apr 3, 2009 7:58 am

Hasn’t this rather unattractive girl with odd teeth had her 15 minutes of fame with the tween set already??

chuck • on Apr 3, 2009 8:43 am

I’ve watch the show Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel and the show’s a trip. I read a plot synopsis on the Monatana movie and even I want to go see it. Especially when Miley throws her show at Tyra Banks on her show. But the show cracks me up.

savvydude • on Apr 3, 2009 8:52 am

I seem to remember somebody singing “the musical is back”. Oh yeah, it was Hugh Jackman at the Oscars. Guess he was right.

crusader r. • on Apr 3, 2009 9:17 am

It is fascinating to watch Billy Ray Cyrus mutate into the transsexual energy vampire of his own daughter.
Now piggybacking his lame music onto the soundtracks of his overexposed and exploited daughter Miley’s films, Billy Ray now exacts teen attention taxation of his daughter’s fans by keeping them in lockdown in secure, guarded Disney entertainment hubs for gruesome sneak previews of his pablum n’ xanax soaked non-hits. Seriously, this creepy b.s. is beyond parody…

Ron • on Apr 3, 2009 11:17 am

Then again, remember how huge the Jonas Brother’s movie was going to be?

Johnny Marshall • on Apr 3, 2009 1:08 pm

$40 mil opening, $120 mil domestic

Charlie • on Apr 3, 2009 1:44 pm

Hey TJ – a little harsh aren’t we? Remember, this is a 16 year old little girl you are calling ugly. It’s funny to me how middle aged unsuccessful people (yes TJ, I’m making the assumption your middle aged, and probably over weight, and not making much money) get so snippy about people like Miley Cyrus. Actually, it’s not funny…it’s just sad.

Anon • on Apr 3, 2009 3:18 pm

What’s sad is the millions of people eating this shit up. America is full of stupid, white trash: truth

dgd • on Apr 3, 2009 5:24 pm

Ron is right; the JoBros movie tanked. And the first-week numbers for the soundtrack for this Miley movie were relatively abysmal. Still, I don’t wish her heapings of ill will. Just enjoy it while it lasts, honey.

The Questioner • on Apr 3, 2009 6:09 pm

So what if Disney is exploiting Miley that is what Disney does (see Hillary Duff, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan). If Disney and UTA are lucky they will have at least 4 more years of collecting money off her so-so talent. Then she will head to alcohol, drugs, and dating women.

Honestly it will be really funny to watch her demise but for all the Miley fans out there don’t worry…Disney and some mom-erger or creepy semi-famous dad has a 6 year old daughter set to replace her in 6 years.

TJ • on Apr 3, 2009 6:35 pm

Well, Charlie, your assumption is completely WRONG.
I’m a 23 college guy, (pretty hansome BTW) and guess what: wether I am succesful or not it doesn’t matter, coz my father is a rich impresario and theatre manager here in Miami… so shut the fuck up¡¡¡

Joy in Mudville • on Apr 3, 2009 7:46 pm

crusader r., this would never have happened back in the old days. Back then there were clean, wholesome, family friendly performers like Ozzie and Harriet, and Lucy and Ricky. They would never have exploited their family status to prolong their shelf life of their… oh never mind.

Santayana • on Apr 3, 2009 10:49 pm

Oh, back off. Every film should do as well. A positive theatre-going experience for one movie builds audiences for all movies, not only now but for the future. Whatever can be said about the Disney folks behind the scenes, they respect their audiences and deliver the goods at top-notch quality.

Satan's PA • on Apr 4, 2009 12:52 am

The only good thing coming out of Disney these days is Pixar. And they had to buy them. If it wasn’t for Pixar, Disney would have zero credibility.

But apparently, this shit sells well, so I can’t really blame them for pimping the shit out of it.

CR • on Apr 4, 2009 9:35 am

Joy – You’re so right on with that historical reference. Pimping as tradition.
But it’s still twisted

zygarch • on Apr 5, 2009 10:50 am

What leaves me dysphagic is the heap of synthetically produced, artificially enhanced, vacuum-packaged “entertainment” that Disney serves up again and again to the Tween segment.

These kids are groomed from an early age (selection criteria being a modicum of “talent” and the degree of competitive aggression demonstrated by said subject or his/her parent[s]); their lives and careers are mapped out with all the zeal and care that Proctor & Gamble would give the product launch of a new zit cream.

The songs, movies, TV shows, etc. are strategically designed to push all the predicted emotional and developmental buttons in the target audience member, guaranteeing a projected rate of return for X number of years.

These young people are products, created and marketed for quick consumption with no long-term effects on the consumer.

Sadly, most of these kids are inducted at a time in their lives when they can’t make any rational decisions based on real-world experience. Their parents or management teams essentially sell souls to the devil for buckets of money. When the youngster grows up and realizes that their persona is only an illusion, they often resort to drugs or other deleterious behaviours in search of the approval that no longer so easily comes as it did before.

And with all that money to fall back on, they are unsympathetic figures who become targets of yet cleverer shysters than the ones who raised them.

The Disney of my childhood is long gone. You know– the one that created real STORIES that became classics. The behemoth company today is a marketing factory– focused on producing an assembly line of PRODUCT with crossover merchandising ties.

Specking of Disney cred, nowadays when I see the Disney stamp on a “property”, I immediate suspect that it will be a bling-encrusted, cliche-ridden, common-denominated, pop-culture titillation draped on an armature of retro social constructions. Ick.

Disney exploiting Miley Cyrus? I think not. Her show which I watched on weekends makes me laugh. The same goes with ICarly and Jake&Josh. The reason these shows succeed is becouse of the fact that have fab writers which nake evenung sitcoms look real pale. One should ask the teens why they like Hannah Montana. I watched the trailer on the Disney website and the show throwing scene with Tyra Banks had me laughing.
I wouldn’t mind seeing an ICarly movie or a Jake&Josh. Terrific comedy comes from excellent writing I might add. I’m looking forward to seeing the movie by the way.

LizzieLemonic • on Apr 11, 2009 2:10 pm

I can’t believe commenters are bashing this teenage girl and Disney.

I’m sorry if it is hard to accept the fact that Disney does a great job entertaining families. It’s really that simple. They do their niche well – better than most these days!

One thing that puzzles me though, is why they can’t get Jonas Brothers TV/Film projects right? I love them as a band…but think their other stuff has been subpar – not because of the kids but from a writing/directing/production perspective…is that a management problem? At times it seems like they’re being punished.